Die for me?

Well, Palm Sunday is winding down here in Atlanta. As I write, it is heading towards sundown. I mentioned earlier today that this is our week. Out of the 52 weeks in the year, this is the one Christians own. We claim it. The world discounts it. I have nothing against Spring Break, but I do wish it was not on the same week as Holy Week.

This is the week that it happened. Very few dispute that Jesus the Nazarene died this week. On Thursday, we will have a free download CD available at this blog site called The Good Friday Experience. It is a 25 minute experience that will take you from the garden to the empty tomb. I hope that will be helpful to you.

Question: Do you think you are worth dying for? We live in a country where people are willing to defend us to the death. They are willing to die for people and principles. I am too. My wife and kids. Kipper T. Jim D. Martin, Roy, Robby, Scott,...etc. ..It is a pretty long list of people I am willing to die for. Impressive? I see something in them, know them well enough that on a good day, I would step in the line of fire for them. At least I think so.

Paul said that you might see a man choosing to die for someone who is good. In one sense all of the above are. They are my friends and family. Now, would I willingly die for someone who was my fierce enemy? Someone who was against me, who hated me, who was out to get me, to take me down? Someone who was coming after me to kill me?

Paul says, a line or two before, that just at the right time when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. To be a bit more blunt we hated God. We were His enemies. We were on the side of those against Him. We were out to get Him. To take Him down. He demonstrated His love for us in that while we were his enemies, He died for us.

We were not worth saving, He was not riding into Jerusalem thinking, "Hmm...Randy..he is messed up and a sinner, but I know he means well sometimes." That would be like selecting some leftover food from the refrigerator because it had some value. He saved us because of His good pleasure.

This week is the week we should remember that. And perhaps we should think about the why. Not why he saved us. But why we are not more grateful, why we still act like little rebels, why we do not love others indiscriminately, why we do not forgive, and why we do not live missional lives. No "guilt trip" intended there for you, even though I have to admit I am guilty.

This week I will be blogging about this week. I encourage you to think, pray and write yourself as we enter into Holy Week, His week, our week. Blessings